Vijay Sethupathi, star of “Farzi” and “Jawan” has no qualms that he isn’t your stereotypical hero. However, that shouldn’t underestimate an actor’s capabilities, he feels. He is famous for his hard-hitting performances in villainous roles in South films and Bollywood. In Sriram Raghavan’s bilingual film “Merry Christmas,” he shares screen space with Katrina Kaif. In a recent interview, he opened up about being body-shamed in the South film industry as well as Bollywood. 

Not a Regular Mascular Hero

Vijay Sethupathi claims he had always been this way, unlike the typical lead you expect to see in movies. He broke the traditional way an actor is perceived, but not before facing a lot of bullying and body-image issues. He said body-shaming happened in the Tamil film industry as well as when he started working in Hindi movies.

“Main aisa hi tha, body shaming bohot kiya tha mujhe,” (I was always this way, they body-shamed me a lot) he adds, saying how similar North and South are in that respect, “Wahaan bhi kiya tha. (Even there, I faced this)” Ultimately, people accepted him for how talented he is, but not how he looked. Now he is happy about that, “Today wherever I go, I am accepted, it is a blessing.” He is grateful to his audience who loves what he does, and confesses, “I didn’t expect this.”

Casual Comfort Is His Fashion Style

Often seen in comfy and casual garments, Vijay Sethupathi is a big fan of being oneself. He wore slippers while attending one of the events of the OTT special “Farzi.” The talented actor does that deliberately and consciously, but not for lack of style. He says, “Chappal pehnega toh simple matlab kya… (If you wear slippers, does it mean you are simple?) I get really conscious when I see people dressed up really well at functions.” 

But people who pass comments are too fickle, you see, “Sometimes they say I am showing off, sometimes they say I am too simple.” Just do what you like – is what Vijay Sethupathi preaches. Although as an introvert, he prefers not to attend any events or meetings at all in general. 

Vijay Sethupathi Loves Hindi Language

Speaking about the immense affection he is receiving from fans in the Hindi belt, he thinks he is on the right path. “ It assures me that I am moving in the right direction,” he said, “Fans’ love is motivating me to do better.” 

Vijay Sethupathi also lost his cool during an interview when asked about his stance on opposing Hindi in Tamil Nadu. He said, “Hindi, as a language, was never opposed. A lot of people here are studying it. No one stopped us.” He doesn’t agree with its imposition but has much love for the Hindi language itself.